Natural enemy of invasive, berry-eating fly found in U.S.
A parasitoid wasp that is the natural enemy of a fly known as the spotted-wing drosophila could be a good friend to growers. Washington State University researchers recently confirmed the discovery of the potentially beneficial wasp in the United Sta.....»»
A new way to study and help prevent landslides
Landslides are one of the most destructive natural disasters on the planet, causing billions of dollars of damage and devastating loss of life every year. By introducing a new paradigm for studying landslide shapes and failure types, a global team of.....»»
Umami-rich scrap fish and invasive species can liven up vegetables, says gastrophysicist
Greening the way we eat needn't mean going vegetarian. A healthy, more realistic solution is to adopt a flexitarian diet where seafoods add umami to "boring" vegetables. University of Copenhagen gastrophysicist Ole G. Mouritsen puts mathematical equa.....»»
How bad are invasive plants for birds? Research suggests large-scale removal may not have intended benefits
A prevailing opinion in land management is that non-native invasive plants are of no ecological value and they significantly diminish habitat quality for wildlife. Conservation practitioners allocate significant resources to invasive plant removal, o.....»»
Nature conservation works, and we"re getting better at it, says new study
To work in nature conservation is to battle a headwind of bad news. When the overwhelming picture indicates the natural world is in decline, is there any room for optimism? Well, our new global study has some good news: we provide the strongest evide.....»»
Granting legal "personhood" to nature is a growing movement: Can it stem biodiversity loss?
Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing......»»
Nature degradation could cause a 12% loss to UK GDP, new analysis suggests
The deterioration of the UK's natural environment could lead to an estimated 12% loss to GDP, according to new analysis. In comparison, the financial crisis of 2008 took around 5% off the value of the UK GDP, while the COVID-19 pandemic cost the UK u.....»»
EPA issues four rules limiting pollution from fossil fuel power plants
Coal to be hit hard, natural gas plants will have to capture carbon emissions. Enlarge (credit: Jose A. Bernat Bacete) Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced a suite of rules that target pollution from f.....»»
Study shows the longer spilled oil lingers in freshwater, the more persistent compounds it produces
Oil is an important natural resource for many industries, but it can lead to serious environmental damage when accidentally spilled. While large oil spills are highly publicized, every year, there are many smaller-scale spills into lakes, rivers, and.....»»
Shoreline model predicts long-term future of storm protection and sea-level rise
Researchers in North Carolina have created a simulation model to analyze how coastal management activities meant to protect barrier islands from sea-level rise can disrupt the natural processes that are keeping barrier islands above water......»»
Diversity and productivity go branch-in-branch: Scientists share which forests can adapt to climate change
Climate change can be characterized as the Grim Reaper or some other harbinger of dire times for humanity and natural environment, including forests. Previous studies reporting a decline in forest productivity due to climate warming and long-term dro.....»»
Illinois residents encouraged to destroy the eggs of invasive insects to slow spread
While Chicagoans were alarmed to learn the spotted lanternfly had been found in Illinois last year, experts say spring is the time to take action against that insect—as well as another damaging invasive species that has made far more inroads and go.....»»
Bioluminescence first evolved in animals at least 540 million years ago, pushing back previous oldest dated example
Bioluminescence first evolved in animals at least 540 million years ago in a group of marine invertebrates called octocorals, according to the results of a new study from scientists with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History......»»
Researchers uncover natural variation in wild emmer wheat for broad-spectrum disease resistance
Bread wheat is one of the most important staple crops for millions of people and is apparently the largest cultivated and traded cereal worldwide. Bread wheat is a hexaploid species with three subgenomes (2n = 6x = 42, AABBDD) that has undergone two.....»»
It’s cutting calories—not intermittent fasting—that drops weight, study suggests
The study is small and imperfect but offers more data on how time-restricted diets work. Enlarge (credit: Getty | David Jennings) Intermittent fasting, aka time-restricted eating, can help people lose weight—but the r.....»»
The Italian central Apennines are a source of CO₂, study finds
Tectonically active mountains play an important role in the natural CO2 regulation of the atmosphere. Competing processes take place here: At Earth's surface, erosion drives weathering processes that absorb or release CO2, depending on the type of ro.....»»
Pomegranate power: Unlocking sustainable antimicrobial solutions from peels
Pomegranates, known for their rich phenolic content, have been explored for their potential as natural antimicrobials. The research focuses on the peel, which contains a high concentration of these beneficial compounds and represents a significant po.....»»
Mycoheterotrophic plants as a key to the "Wood Wide Web"
Bayreuth researchers shed light on the natural evidence for the occurrence and function of networks of fungi and plants—so-called mycorrhizal networks. Through this "Wood Wide Web," plants can exchange resources and even information with each other.....»»
Wild and domestic ungulates are key to Mediterranean ecosystem sustainability, finds study
Researchers from Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) have conducted a vegetation analysis over the last 30 years using satellite images from two environments in the Sierra de Cazorla Natural Park (southeast Spain)—one with wild ungulates su.....»»
Invasive species sound off about impending ecosystem changes
Anticipating changes to ecosystems is often at best an educated guess, but what if there was a way to better tune into possible changes occurring?.....»»
Study shows copper beads in pig feed reshape swine gut microbiome
Copper is a natural antimicrobial material that, when added to pig feed, may promote the growth and health of the animals. Since pigs can tolerate high levels of the metal, researchers at Texas Tech University in Amarillo recently investigated whethe.....»»